Warning! This article contains spoilers from Season 17, Episode 3 of Rupaul’s Drag Race
By the time you’re reading this, another one of our queens will have been cut from Rupaul’s Drag Race. In episode 10, “The Villain’s Roast”, the queens performed a comedy roast on the shadiest former Drag Race contestants. While Lydia B. Kollins’ sadistic humor hit it out of the park, others faltered. In a tense “Lip-Sync for Your Life”, Jewels Sparkles and Arrietty duked it out to Beyoncé’s “YA YA.” With only seven Drag Queens remaining, the competition to become America’s Next Drag Superstar remains fierce. Below are my top three Drag Race contenders (in no particular order) and why I think they could take the crown.
1. Suzie Toot
Suzie Toot established herself as a strong competitor from early in the season. Her signature 1920s glam makes her shine amongst the trendier, younger queens. To secure her first win of the season, Toot tap-danced to a morse code rendition of the Gettysburg Address, speaking to her dedication and strong talent. Since then, she has won one more maxi challenge and two mini challenges. While Suzie Toot has received backlash from Drag Race fans and fellow competitors, Episode 11’s acting challenge is the perfect opportunity for her to shine again. Is Suzie getting ahead of herself, or is her stardom warranted? Fans are anxious to see if she can put her money where her mouth is, and I’m hoping she can.
2. Sam Star
Sam Star is the ultimate pageant queen of this season. Star descends from Drag Race royalty, with her Drag Mother being the iconic, Trinity The Tuck. Sam Star doesn’t seem to be as friendly as the other queens. While others are seen fooling around in the workroom, Star made it clear that at the end of the day, only one queen can win. Additionally, her runway looks are always show-stopping. Like Suzie Toot, Star has two maxi challenge wins under her belt, but she is waiting to nail her second mini-challenge. I’m waiting to see more of her personality on the show. We know she can be funny and gorgeous, but what else does she bring? An original song challenge might be the best way to challenge this perfectionist. Regardless, Star’s talent stands among the top contenders of the competition. I would hate to follow her up on the runway.
3. Lydia B. Kollins
Miss Lydia Butthole (no seriously, that’s her name) Kollins is constantly turning deranged ideas into chic drag. Her name is inspired by the fictional character from Beetlejuice, Lydia Deetz. Kollins told the show she draws lots of inspiration from Tim Burton and other wacky creators. She is the least decorated out of the list with only one maxi and one mini challenge win. However, Kollins won hearts over with her Boogie Wonderland Lip Sync For Your Life performance. OG fans appreciated how her passion and intensity outmatched the crazy stunts many modern drag artists fall back on. In addition, her most recent comedy performance in Episode 11 was a surprising hit amongst everyone. Though Kollins was at the bottom for her last acting performance, she may have found the right groove in Episode 10.
In all honesty, this hasn’t been my favorite RuPaul’s Drag Race season. Considering how much the drag community and show have grown since its airing in 2009, the talent has been lackluster. There are still queens lacking crucial skills like sewing or comedy which are vital to the competition. Despite these three queens pulling ahead of the race, there is still much to improve on. Though Suzie Toot continues to succeed, there is not one queen dominating over the rest of the group. This season is really anybody’s game, so who are you rooting for? Tune in on Fridays at 8:00 p.m. on MTV to keep up with the Rupaul’s Drag Race.
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